4-H'ers take home prizes

Over 60 students from Delta Jr. High, Morehouse Magnet and Oak Hill participated the 4-H Demonstration/Public Speaking Day at the LSU Ag Center last Friday. The students were eligible to compete in several categories, such as Agriculture and Horticulture, Arts and Crafts and Food Preparation.

Although the students diligently prepared for their demonstrations and admired each others hard work during the event, Morehouse Parish 4-H Agent Lauren Edwards said there the day was about something bigger than demonstrations.

“This gives the students a chance to improve their public speaking abilities,” Edwards said. “I've heard so many people say they can tell who's been in 4-H when hearing public speakers. These students are being exposed to more creative thinking and speaking, whether they know it or not.”

Rules in the Illustrated Talk category included a speech that could not be an illustrated talk or presentation, meaning no visual aids were allowed. It had to be between 5-7 minutes long ,with no note cards.

Other students participated in the Demonstration portion of the event. The topics in the Agriculture and Horticulture category dealt with entomology, wildlife, small engines, dog/pet care, and animal science, how to plant flowers and landscaping.

The Arts and Crafts topics to choose from were things such as bath salts, scrapbooking, jewelry making and wood working.

Food Preparation included baking cookies, making a casserole, bread baking and others, such as science experiments, hunting related, home economics not related foods.

Oak Hill fourth grader Asyia Bracey's project was a tornado in a bottle, which was water with glitter, inside a plastic soda bottle. When she swirled the bottle around, it gave the appearance of a tornado.

“I've been preparing for about a week now,” Bracey said. “I wasn't nervous at all when I gave my presentation.”

Her classmate Tahj Blackmon gave a presentation on making designer clothes.

“I do this a lot at home,” she said. “This gave me a chance to show it to someone.”